Ford Notes and Quotes
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Gander Outdoors 400 (Pocono Raceway; Pocono, PA)
Saturday, July 21, 2018
FORD QUALIFYING RESULTS
1st Kevin Harvick
5th Joey Logano
9th Brad Keselowski
13th Kurt Busch
17th Paul Menard
18th Ryan Blaney
19th Aric Almirola
21st Clint Bowyer
23rd Matt Kenseth
26th Michael McDowell
29th David Ragan
30th Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
31st Matt DiBenedetto
KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Fusion – Qualified 1st
HOW CONFIDENT WERE YOU THAT YOU WOULD SIT ON THE POLE TODAY? “I have screwed it up here a lot to tell you the truth. It is really hard to have a fast car and put it together all three rounds. I have not put three corners together several times here. The car is always faster than I am here. I can tell you that for sure. To be able to finally put together one lap is definitely exciting. To be able to finally get a pole here is a good start to the weekend and having the first pit stall is definitely a good thing.”
RODNEY CHILDERS HAS BEEN GOOD HERE AS A CREW CHIEF GOING BACK TO 2012 WITH MARK MARTIN. HOW MUCH DOES HAVING HIM ON TOP OF YOUR PIT BOX HELP YOU HERE? “Having a faster car definitely makes things go a lot smoother. This is a race track that if your car is not fast you can’t hide. I think the first time that we came here when we all moved to Stewart-Haas the car was fast and at that time the Hendrick cars were running really well here and we kind of fell in line with that whole program and were able to build on it from there. It has been a lot better since we have had cars like this. I still mess it up but it is a lot easier to accomplish things when the car runs like it does.”
DO YOU FEEL YOU ARE DUE FOR WIN HERE FINALLY? “We have run well here. I don’t know that anything owes you anything. We have screwed things up and messed things up, had things not go our way and had things go our way. You never know. Sometimes you can do everything right and still not win. There is a lot that has to go right every week.”
THIS IS ONE OF TWO TRACKS WHERE YOU HAVE NEVER WON IN THE CUP SERIES, DO YOU HAVE AN EXTRA DESIRE TO GET THE WIN HERE? “My guys put a lot of effort into coming to Kentucky and Pocono every year just because they know that the last two years those have been the race tracks that are still on the list for us. They know it would be nice to have that list completed. We just try to keep doing what we are doing and see what happens tomorrow.”
DOES THE MONIKER “BIG THREE” BOTHER YOU? IT HAS BECOME MORE AND MORE SYNONYMOUS WITH YOUR NAMES: “I think you have to embrace it at this point. A lot of people show up to see him (Kyle Busch) race me and me race him. The way things have gone, and Martin (Truex Jr.) is right in there as well. I would rather be in the big three than not. I would rather be winning races and in the conversation because I have been on the other side of it and it is way less fun.”
IN PRACTICE, ARE YOU LOOKING TO SEE WHERE THE 18 IS? “Honestly, I usually don’t get out of the car and look at the scoreboard. If my car is not driving right, that is one thing about being old, you have been to these places a lot of times and have a pretty good feel about your car. Usually if there is something wrong, Rodney and Dax will tell me. By the end of the weekend you are going to have to race the 18 and 78 and you know that is just part of the game right now.”
BEFORE THE TRUCK RACE, NASCAR BENCHED NOAH GRAGSON FOR A STOMACH ILLNESS. DO YOU HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE NASCAR MEDICAL STAFF TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER YOU CAN RACE OR NOT? “I don’t know the details of that situation so I don’t have a comment on whether it was good or bad.”
CAN YOU COMMENT ON JIMMIE JOHNSON MAKING HIS 600TH START TOMORROW? “The thing about Jimmie is I don’t think we realize all the things he has actually accomplished. Jimmie Johnson is the most underrated champion that you have ever seen walk through this garage. For whatever reason, it is just that you kind of take it for granted. As a competitor you realize what he has accomplished and how hard it is to twin those races and championships under different formats. They have done a great job for a number of years. They are having a tough time at it right now but they are motivated because they want to end the way they started. He has been a great champion and great for the sport.”
BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Fusion – Qualified 9th
“I don’t know where we missed. I need to study it a little bit and think about it. I am still digesting I guess is what I am trying to say but I know that we can always be better.”
JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Fusion – Qualified 3rd
“We kept making improvements. I think we were eighth and then we were seventh or so and then to fifth. We kept getting faster which is good. We kept making improvements on the car. I feel like I finally hit my lap good at the end. As a driver I feel like I missed one corner in every run before. I would get a good one and two and miss three but I feel like I got it all that time. We were just a little bit tight but that isn’t going to make up the difference. It is a speed change there of those top two cars. They are just faster. I think the 19 and 42 have speeds comparable to us but those top two cars aren’t surprising, it is the same as it has been. We have to keep working at it. That is closer than we have been the last few weeks. That is our best qualifying in a couple weeks. I have a good car. I have something to race with, something that can definitely run in the top-five. I am glad we are starting up there and hopefully we can make something happen.”
RICKY STENHOUSE JR., No. 17 Ford Fusion – Qualified 30th
“We just don’t have the speed. We are really just struggling. We struggled all day today. We came here with hopes of being better but right now we aren’t very much different than what we were the first time we came here this year. That is frustrating but we will go to work on it and see if we can’t somehow manage to gain some points tomorrow during the race. Brian is really good at that. We will see how it works out.”
